November is full of Thanksgiving and giving back. It’s also the time the holidays ramp up. So we have a little bit of everything for you in our November Bonus Picks. And even a couple of birthday celebrations.

*brought to you by FFTC’s partners

Opportunity to Give Back

11/3/18: CEAP Community Fundraiser| Snapology 2649 Lyndale Ave South, Mpls 55408 | Noon-5pm | $10 per child (Adults free will donation) | Join Snapology for a unique fundraiser to benefit the families at CEAP! Community Emergency Assistance Programs empowers our neighbors in need by providing basic needs and personalized support to help them establish their path to stability and independence with dignity. Come and enjoy all the legos and robotics you can handle! Proceeds go to your community through CEAP programs and services. We’ll have food, activities and silent auction items

November Fun for the Whole Family

11/3/18: Mélina Mangal, THE VAST WONDER OF THE WORLD – Launch Party! | Red Balloon Bookshop, 891 Grand Ave, St. Paul | 3 pm | FREE | Celebrate the launch of The Vast Wonder of the World with debut local author Mélina Mangal! Learn about the life of groundbreaking, African American scientist Ernest Everett Just, who expanded our understanding of egg cells and the origin of life. Join us for a reading, author presentation, and book signing!

11/10/18: Elizabeth Verdick, SMALL WALT AND MO THE TOW | Red Balloon Bookshop, 891 Grand Ave, St. Paul | 10:30 am | FREE | Join local author Elizabeth Verdick for a Saturday storytime in honor of her latest book Small Walt and Mo the Tow. Small Walt finally got a chance to show off his snow plow skills in the first book, but now he might be facing a snowy problem he can’t solve alone! Join us for a reading, author presentation, and book signing!

11/10/18: SPARK Creativity Workshop with Andrea Debbink| Red Balloon Bookshop, 891 Grand Ave, St. Paul | 3 pm | FREE | Young creators and their grown-ups are invited to Red Balloon Bookshop in St. Paul for an afternoon creativity workshop with author Andrea Debbink and her new book Spark: A Guide to Ignite the Creativity Inside of You. More details coming soon!

11/17/18: THE MUKLUK BALL Storytime with Katharine Johnson & Alicia Schwab| Red Balloon Bookshop, 891 Grand Ave, St. Paul | 10:30 am | FREE | Bundle up and head to Red Balloon in St. Paul to celebrate the release of The Mukluk Ball at a special, Saturday storytime with author Katharine Johnson and illustrator Alicia Schwab. Join us for a reading, author presentation, and book signing!

11/21/18: Intro to Stop Motion Animation | Snapology 2649 Lyndale Ave South, Mpls MN 55408 | 1-4pm | $30 | Students will get a crash course in stop-motion animation in this fun 3 hour workshop. They’ll walk a minifigure around, add sound and other elements to their short movie, and be able to view their finished product on Youtube!

Image courtesy Theatre Elision – Jazzy Christmas

11/23/18: Deck the Halls Workshop | Red Balloon Bookshop, 891 Grand Ave, St. Paul | 2-4 pm | FREE | Having trouble finding time to buy your kids’ presents without them seeing? Drop them off at Red Balloon with Storyteller Angela to do crafts and listen to stories while you shop on Grand Avenue! More details coming soon!

11/24/18: Indies First! | Red Balloon Bookshop, 891 Grand Ave, St. Paul | 10 am-4 pm | The holidays are here and it’s time to shop small in St. Paul! Put your Indies First by choosing local businesses for your holiday shopping! Ask local authors for book recommendations, celebrate with other book fans, and get your holiday shopping done early!